I participated in Symposium on Creating Satoyama where People Live with Nature”

“3rd Symposium on Creating Satoyama where People Live with Nature” was held on March 7th 2015 at Misaki community center.

The theme was “Let’s hand over the rich nature and build the safe and secure agriculture for the future of children”

It started with a speech about “Biodiversity and creating strategy in Isumi-shi.”
And then messages were given from the citizen. After that the panel discussion was held with Mr. Inaba, a lecturer of organic rice growing.

Many people were interested and participated in the symposium.
There were also elementary school students and they were listening earnestly.

The message from the citizen was about creating satoyama, woodlands located near human habitat, exclusively in Isumi-shi.

Satoyama is an area where multiple environmental factors such as paddy field, vegetable field, stream, forest, and human are mixed.

In the symposium, I knew that the condition of satoyama in Isumi-shi was better among others in Japan.

People had been living in the environment with rich biodiversity in the old days, and the benefit of satoyama had been handed down, but now a lot of fields and woodlands of satoyama areas are abandoned and no longer cultivated or taken care. The influence extends even to the ocean.

But I knew that it is not too late yet.
For example, although the number of Miyako tanago (Japanese bitterling, fish) of nationally protected species is less than before, it is not extinct yet, and there is such fish in Isumi-shi.

Among these stories, the speech of Mr. Shinishi Tsurubuchi was very encouraging.
It was about what he felt about nature, relationship with people, and I felt his passion for rice-growing.

Afterward, 3 boys from 5th grade of Furusawa elementary school presented “Our wish” representing students.

Their frank comment regarding their fieldwork of rice-growing and observation on lives in the paddy field in the class was favorable.

I do not think that people know the nature very well just because they live in the countryside.
I felt the “real experience” is the most important.

The mood is different when children participate in the meeting!

The symposium was a good opportunity for me to see matters not as someone else’s business, but as my own business.

You can read the whole texts of “Isumi biodiversity strategy”.

( UI / Yasuko )

update : 2015/03/20 23:05
Category : Diary, town events

Solar Panel on the Farmland

The wind is still chilly, but the sun is becoming somewhat warm these days.

As a project to utilize the sunshine, solar panel was installed at Goheiyama-nouen, Mr. Fujie’s farmland, where he grows blueberry and fig. I visited his farm to see the installation of the panels.

The trestle had been built in the blueberry field.

I had ever seen solar panels only on the roof or on the ground.
But here they install the panels 3 meters above the blueberry field with the sufficient space between the panels to maintain the sunshine condition for the blueberry.
This is a new method called “solar sharing.”

This was the field for people to enjoy blueberry picking when it is in the season, and it remain the same this year. It is a way to utilize the land effectively.

In this blueberry field, it generates enough electricity to provide power to10 homes.
The electricity generated is going to be sold Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.

I was most surprised that the people who were installing the panels were the acquaintances each other, not outsourced engineers.
They are of course knowledgeable about solar system including solar system related engineers, but they are also supporters of the project.
Some people are from Ichihara-shi, and even from Fukushima prefecture!
It was lively on the day with total 19 people participated as a helper.

They also do detailed assembling works by themselves.

Persons who were used to work in high place installed the panel one by one. The total number of the panel was 180 pieces.

They think that they build it themselves, so it becomes their own matter, not someone else’s matter, and it is also good that they can fix themselves when it is broken.

They create an actual example by themselves, and would like expand the method to other people who have land or fallow land.
It must be a tough work, but they talk pleasantly.

Solar energy grows blueberry and generates electricity at the same time, while people’s energy are so powerful as well!

You will be able to enjoy blueberry picking under the driving solar panel next time!
I look forward to it!

< Horii / Yasuko )

update : 2015/03/02 21:02
Category : information, town events

Isumi ranked high on the “Rural city people want to live in most” (Inakagurashi no Hon, February issue)

Our NPO has a monthly subscription to Inakagurashi no Hon (Magazine for Country Life).
Sometimes they feature our tours or events, and our relocation consultation in their magazine.

Our organization was selected as No.1 in the “Sufficient service for the people who relocate” among 68 of “Supporting organizations for country life” in the east Japan.

Isumi ranks number 37 on the “Rural city people want to live in most”.

I thought Isumi is one of the cities where people draw attention.

Recently I feel more people are visiting our office to inform us that they had relocated already or seek consultation before relocation.
Before April, the beginning month of a year in Japan, people may put an end to their previous life or start something new.

More young couples of 20s and 30s as well as single people come to seek our consultation.
Someone who participated in the seminar at Furusato Kaiki Shien Center, an organization which supports people who want to move to rural region, the other day may visit us in the near future.

A family, a couple in their 30s with a kid, who visited us on the other day may move to Isumi in the near future. They were saying that they had read a lot of information through internet or magazines, but once they physically visited the place and talked, the image became more realistic.

The other asked about property, grocery, driving, and childcare etc.

I myself visited this NPO of Isumi lifestyle Lab. four years ago before I moved Isumi.

It may require courage and be difficult to take action now.
But just visit here without hesitation.

( Chie / Yasuko )

update : 2015/02/19 16:21
Category : Diary, information